Boxes travelling down conveyor belt in a warehouse

The warehouse receiving process

What is it and how can you improve it?

Receiving the wrong products when you’ve been eagerly waiting for an order to arrive can be frustrating, to say the least. Have you ever been desperate for an item to arrive only to find you have been sent the wrong item when you open the packaging? One way to spare your customers from this experience is through reviewing your warehouse receiving process.

Storing goods may seem like a straightforward, simple process - however, there is much more to this aspect of e-fulfilment. Warehouse receiving is not simply a matter of purchasing inventory and having it delivered to your warehouse. It involves key steps that must be done correctly to ensure your goods are high-quality and are stored correctly to help the ecommerce fulfilment process go smoothly.

In this guide:

What is involved in the warehouse receiving process?
Understand how to get this process right
The importance of the receiving process in warehouse e-fulfilment
Find out why the receiving process is so vital.
How can you ensure an efficient warehouse receiving process?
Read what to consider when reviewing your receiving process.

What is involved in the warehouse receiving process?

The goal of the warehouse receiving procedure is to unload safely, check goods are suitable and correct and store your goods efficiently and accurately. This process is also vital in identifying missing or damaged items and keeping track of these instances. Though this process may sound time consuming – it actually goes a long way in ensuring your customer receives the right order at the right time.

So, why is this process so important?

Your employees who are responsible for receiving goods, and getting them to your customers, play a huge part in the journey your goods go on. For example, a disorganised receiving process that doesn’t involve accurate labelling may lead to goods getting lost or mixed up with other orders, leaving your customers waiting for longer or even receiving the incorrect product. With online platforms such as Amazon offering same-day and next-day delivery options, being able to map your product throughout its e-fulfilment process will help build efficiency and meet your customer’s delivery expectations.

Are you looking to thrive online and help your customers receive orders more efficiently? Read about our managed ecommerce services here.

Your receiving process is also key for ensuring your goods are of the utmost quality when they arrive at your warehouse. This means looking for any product damages or faults. In ensuring you receive the right product, in the right quantities, weight, and dimensions, you have the greatest likelihood of the product arriving on time and undamaged with the customer. Doing this proactively can reduce the number of refunds or returns and lead to more positive customer reviews.

How do you know you are getting this process right?

Ask yourself what you could improve in this warehouse management process to make it more accurate and increase warehouse efficiency. Does your warehouse have boxes positioned in an area that isn’t well-defined? Perhaps you don’t always have a designated receiving area, and this can lead to disorganisation in the warehouse layout and slow down warehouse productivity.

If you’re unsure where to go from here - here are some tips on mastering that receiving process to ensure a smooth e-fulfilment process:

Don’t skip the quality check

Do your receivers check goods for damage when products arrive? Putting a quality control process in place can ensure you are only providing customers with the best quality products, leading to increased customer satisfaction.

Label your received goods straight away

Why go through the effort of counting and checking each product when they come in if you aren’t going to label them? Labelling your goods immediately can mean they are less likely to get lost, misplaced, or mistaken for the wrong items. Mistakes with selecting the wrong items or shelving errors can also be costly to your business, so being proactive can save you money in the long run!

Are you struggling to keep up with your ecommerce fulfilment process? Find out how Linney can help you give your customers the best experience!

Get clever with a real-time scanning solution

Entering received inventory into your system can sometimes be more time-consuming than it needs to be. Think about the system your warehouse uses – is it really as efficient as it could be? To speed up this process, you can invest in a real-time wireless scanning solution. This technology can automatically check receipts against their purchase orders and allows you to handle problems in real-time, speeding up this warehouse operation.

Keep a record of all missing or damaged items

Do you notice that items regularly arrive damaged or sometimes go missing before they even reach your warehouse? Keeping note of when this happens and the supplier, shipper and/or carrier involved can allow you to identify where the recurring problems happen and put focus on these companies.

Check that your unloading process is safe to avoid damages

Goods can often be damaged during the unloading process. If a forklift is used in this process, warehouse staff responsible for this must ensure the truck is properly docked and emergency brakes are on. Can the trailer handle the weight? Try and make sure container integrity is not compromised.

Consider using a third-party ecommerce warehousing service

As an ecommerce company, it can be difficult to juggle the wide array of responsibilities you have. You may also simply be struggling with the warehouse space to accommodate the storage you need. Whether you are looking for assistance with your dispatch process or complete warehousing management– a third-party logistics provider (3PL) can remove some of the stress out of warehouse process responsibilities and help you to save time and money. Choosing a service provider that suits your business values and understands your customer needs can ensure your consumers receive the same care, if not better, in the long run. Often, a third-party service such as Linney can offer everything from inventory management, warehouse storage, pick and pack, and the distribution of goods. This provides you with more time to manage your online business!

Are you struggling to keep on top of ecommerce warehousing? Find out how Linney can help

At Linney, we understand that making your customers happy is the end goal. Getting your products to your customers efficiently and exceeding their expectations is a key part of maintaining loyal customers. That’s why we provide much more than just warehousing and stock management - we offer a variety of different services to help your ecommerce order fulfilment process go smoothly – from managed ecommerce to an order fulfilment service.

To find out more about how we can help you provide your customers with the best service possible, contact us here.